LEOMINSTER — On Wednesday, March 27, 2024, 1:15 p.m., Officer Tanner Jakola of the Leominster Police Department was dispatched to Divinity Barber Shop located at 3 Park Street, after a patron of the shop called police to report that a barber there had threatened him with a knife.
(The account and quotations in this article were sourced from the printed Personnel Narrative of Officer Jakola and do not reflect any political perspective or personal opinion of News Link Live, which is strictly a business entity.)
“While enroute, dispatch advised there was audible yelling [in the background of the call],” Officer Jakola said.
Sergeant Ronald Ramos and Officers Dennis Hatstat and Christian Schwartz were dispatched to the scene to assist.
When Officer Jakola arrived on scene, he entered the barber shop where he saw the caller, a 30-year-old man, standing in the front of the shop yelling at the barber, Rafaelito Morales-Goty, who was out back.
Rafaelito Morales-Goty, 42, is a resident of 482 North Main Street in Leominster. According to court documents, he’s married and his primary employment is as a barber at Divinity Barber Shop.
Officer Jakola escorted the caller outside and had him speak with Officer Hatstat. The officer then returned to the shop, pat frisked Morales-Goty for weapons – found none – and then escorted him to a room in the back.
“Rafaelito stated the following: Rafaelito told [the caller] that he looked like ‘Shrek,’” Officer Jakola said. “[The caller] took offense to this and the two parties started to argue. There was no physical contact or threats at this point. [The caller] pulled out his phone and advised he was calling the police. Rafaelito advised he tried to take the cellphone from [the caller] while [the caller] was attempting to call the police.”
Officer Schwartz then stayed with Morales-Goty while Officer Jakola went outside to get the caller’s side of the story.
“[The caller] stated the following: [The caller] was called an ‘Ogre,’” Officer Jakola said. “It was unclear if Rafaelito called [the caller] this or someone else in the shop. [The caller] pulled out his phone and showed Rafaelito the definition of the word.”
The caller said that after he showed Morales-Goty the definition, Morales-Goty got upset and the two began arguing.
“Rafaelito had scissors in his hand, put them within inches of [the caller’s] stomach and stated, ‘You want me to stab you?’” Officer Jakola recounted. “[The caller] advised Rafaelito he was going to call police. When he was on the phone, Rafaelito tried to take the phone out of his hand. When Rafaelito could not get the phone from [the caller], he struck [the caller] on the right side of his face. [The caller] declined medical attention. [The caller] stated that another patron of the barber shop had video of the incident.”
Officer Jakola noted that seven people were in the shop from his arrival until police departed the scene.
“I asked if anyone wanted to speak with me about what had occurred or what they saw,” Officer Jakola said. “I was advised no one spoke English. No one seemed willing to speak. I asked if anyone had video and received the same response, this time a patron stated, ‘No,’ when I directly asked him if he had video of the incident.”
Officer Jakola arrested Morales-Goty and charged him with:
- Assault with a Dangerous Weapon (Scissors)
- Witness Intimidation (for trying to take the cellphone away from the caller as he attempted to call police)
- Assault & Battery
Officer Schwartz transported Morales-Goty to the Leominster Police Station for booking, while Officer Jakola remained on scene to continue the investigation.
“I had [the caller] come back into the shop and attempt to identify the scissors that were used in the incident,” Officer Jakola said. “[The caller] opened up a drawer that was at Rafaelito’s station and pointed to two pairs of scissors. I took the first pair out, [the caller] then advised it was the other pair. I took that pair of scissors, silver in color with ‘Black Knight,’ inscribed on the side, as evidence.”
After Officer Jakola left the scene, he was advised that one of the patrons who witnessed the incident decided to speak with Officer Hatstat.
“[The witness] stated the following: The two parties were arguing and [the caller] pushed Rafaelito,” Officer Jakola said. “During the argument, Rafaelito was cleaning the scissors and did not point them at [the caller].”
Morales-Goty’s bail was set at $240.
He was arraigned in Leominster District Court on March 28, 2024; after which he was released on bail with the potential of bail revocation.
Morales-Goty is scheduled to appear in court again on April 30, 2024, for a pretrial conference.
